Plating and the table: making food beautiful

Plating principles

• Choose the plate: plain white or neutral plates let the colours of food stand out. Leave a clean rim around the food.
• Add height: build the main element up slightly rather than spreading everything flat.
• Use contrast: combine colours (green herbs on a golden stew) and textures (a crisp topping on something soft).
• Use odd numbers: three or five pieces look more natural than two or four.
• Finish with care: a few fresh herbs, a drizzle of oil or a pinch of spice — but only if it belongs in the dish.

The Persian table

The Persian table has its own beauty. Rice is served in a dome, often crowned with saffron rice and tahdig, the golden crust from the bottom of the pot. Fresh herbs (sabzi khordan), yoghurt and pickles are laid out around the main dishes.

• The sofreh — a cloth spread on the floor or table — is the traditional setting for shared meals.
• Haft-sin — the Nowruz table of seven items whose names begin with "s" in Persian, such as sabzeh (sprouts), sib (apple) and serkeh (vinegar).
• Sofreh-ye aghd — the richly decorated wedding spread.

Setting a simple table

A plain cloth or runner, matching or deliberately mixed plates, one low arrangement that people can see over, and soft light. Keep it simple enough that the food is the star.

Tools for this

• Colour palette